have heard already out of Numb 1. 50. and Aaron was charged to bear the children of Israel and their judgement upon his shoulders and breast as it is Exod. 28. 12. And thou shalt put the two stones upon the shoulders of the Ephod for stones of memoriall and Aaron shall bear their names upon his shoulders for a memorial Item vers 29 30. And Aaron shall bear the names of the children of Israel in the breast-plate of judgement upon his heart c. And Aaron shall bear the judgement of the children of Israel upon his heart before the Lord continually So is it the office of faithfull Ministers and Shepherds in the Gospel to bear the names of the sheep in their mindes as Christ saith A good Shepherd calleth his sheep by name Joh. 10. 3. which sheep are the vessels of Gods mercy Rom. 6. 23. And therefore the pastourall charge doth burden them with a care to bear them as it were upon their shoulders and in their heart we have the example both of Christ and of his Apostle Paul for this of Christ it is said He shall feed his flock like a shepherd he shall gather his lambs in his arm and carry them in his bosome Isa 40. 11. And the Apostle doth declare to the Corinthians that he did carry them in his heart Ye are in our heart known of all men 2 Cor. 3. 2. Lastly Although the civil Magistrate is not properly Magistrates by a resemblance represented or typed out by the Tribe of Levi yet herein is a similitude and resemblance between the Levites and Magistrates 1. That in the world the Magistrate hath the priviledge and right of the first-born which was and is to In the primogeniâ—ure rule over his brethren Isaac speaking to Iacob in the right of the first-born doth bid him Be lord over his brethren and doth injoyn his mothers sonnes to bow down unto him Gen. 27. 29. Herein then the Magistrate is the first-born in the world as Levi was in the Church and so there is a similitude of prerogative above others in both yet according to different respects 2. The second resemblance is in the office namely in this That the office of the civil Magistrate is also in In the office of bearing the vessels of the Lord. some sort appointed to bear the vessels of the Lord I say in the way of support and civil countenance for they are appointed by God to be nursing Fathers of his Church when they are called unto Christ and bound to call him their Lord. The civil Magistrate then hath an outward care and inspection of the Church committed to him and in this respect he is also a vessel-bearer of the Lord as it is said of Eliakim the sonne of Hilkiah that seeing he was to be a Governour and a Father unto the inhabitants of Ierusalem upon him should be hung the glory of his Fathers house And all the vessels from the vessels of cups to the vessels of flagons Isa 22. 24. He is compared there ver 23. unto a nail fastened in a sure place upon which vessels are hung to be preserved for use lest they might lie upon the ground and be troden under feet So in this way the Magistrate is by power and authority fastened in the wall of the State to bear up all the offices and the office-bearers both of Church and State that they may not fall to the ground and being troden upon become uselesse and contemptible but rather maintained in their true lustre and dignity as vessels of honour Here then the manner of bearing in the one and the other Which is different from the Leviticall bearing of the vessels in the manner thereof is different Levi doth bear them in his hands to make use of them and to doe God service with them in his house but Eliakim doth only support them by his strength that they may hang stedfast upon the wall both have a care of the same vessels of the Lord both bear them but each in his own way in respect of the effect of preservation their cares are parallel but in respect of the manner of their bearing their cares are different the one is inward the other is outward to the Church And although the relations are not the same yet both in the discharge of their duties are truely called vessel-bearers of the Lord because both are appointed by the Lord unto their severall charges for the preservation of his vessels Where by the way let us make this generall observation Where it is observed that the vessels are to be esteemed above the vessel-bearers That the vessels are not for the vessel bearers but the vessel-bearers appointed for the vessels The vessels are not made to be hung upon the nail but for a better use to contain some liquour or other things usefull for the service of the Master of the house but the nail is made and fastened in the wall only or chiefly for this use that the vessels may be hung thereon The vessels are the glory Isâ— 22 24. of the nail but the nail is no part of the vessels glory only the use thereof is to preserve the glory So also it is in Levi the tabernacle was not made nor the vessels thereof for Levi but they were made for the Lord and the glory of his service as for Levi he was made and set apart for the Tabernacle and for the vessells thereof to serve the same The Church as the Tabernacle is for God to dwell therein by his ordinances among his people and the Ministers are Gods servants and his peoples servants to this effect This then is to teach both Civill and Ecclesiasticall office-bearers whom God hath appointed either in and over his house or about it and his household vessells to think of themselves that at the most they are but stewards in their severall charges and that the vessells are not made for them that they should serve their own turnes out of them but that they are made for the vessells and that all their glory doth stand in this that each of them are in their places servants to uphold the glory thereof lest they be in the sight of men as vessells of no pleasure the Apostle saith 2 Cor. 4. 5. we preach our selves your servants for Jesus sake From the words thus opened let us make some Doctrinall and Practicall Observations in brief The first Doctrine to be observed is That God being a The first Doctrâ—â—e is â—hat God hath vessells in his house great house keeper hath vessels belonging to him which he hath appointed for the service of his house You know what is meant by a vessell namely an instrument fitted to contain something whereof a man doth stand in need and to be made use of to that effect Now the house of God is his Church 1 Tim. 3. 15. and the faithfull and elect are his vessells in this house The proof of this is to
are Ministers service committed unto the Ministery is set forth in the Tribe of Levi and in his separation from others unto God whereof Moses in brief gives us this information Deut. 10. 8. The Lord separated the Tribe of Levi to bear the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord to stand before him to minister unto him and to blesse in his name And with this charge none other was to meddle but Levi alone as being set apart to that effect and endued with a peculiar maintenance for that service With the same charge and in the same kinde is the Ministery of the Gospel now set apart by Christ nor ought they to be encumbred with any other cares but such as are immediately subordinate Who ought â—ot to meddle with worldly affairs unto the Gospel this is the Apostles rule to Timothy 2 Tim. 2. 4. No man that warrethintangleth himself with the affairs of this life that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a souldier If then he doth intangle himself with other affairs and employments then such as pertain unto the life to come he cannot please Christ for when a Disciple offered himself to Christ to attend his service desiring only leave to goe home first and bid his friends in the world farewell he was told by Christ that no man is fit for the kingdome of God who having put his hand to the plough of Gods service doth look back to any thing else Luk. 9. 62. And as they are thus to be set apart for the charge and ought not to meddle with any thing but their own plough and their own husbandry which is the tillage of mens souls towards God so may no man take the charge committed unto them upon himself Except he be called thereunto as Aaron was Heb. 5. 4. And the punishments of Korah Dathan and Abiram whereof the history is known Numb 16. and of Vzziah the King who presuming to take upon him the Priests office was strucken with leprosie and separated from the administration of the Kingdome 2 Chron. 26. 16. are for a perpetuall memoriall to shew that none may thrust himself upon this charge of the Ministery but must be admitted thereunto by an orderly calling To the Ministery therefore one way is the charge of And Magistrates whose commission is different from that of the Ministers Gods vessels eminently committed and to the Magistracy another way The Ministery is properly charged with a spirituall care of their souls in things pertaining to God Heb. 5. 1. but the Magistracy is charged with a temporall care of their outward and visible society in things properly pertaining to men for the administration of justice and good order and for the provision of things necessary and comfortable for their life In the one respect Aaron was to bear the judgement of the children of Israel upon his heart before the Lord Exod. 28. 30. In the other Moses when the people was unruly and murmured for meat â—aith that he was not able to bear them all alone Numb 11. 14. that is to care for all their matters and to deal so with them as to give them contentment for which cause seventy Elders are joyned to him to help him to bear the burden of his charge which was the outward regulating of their wayes in Justice and good order according to Gods will Thus then the manner of bearing and the charges are different although they are about and over the same vessells The Minister bears them as they are within the house of God and as in that house he is a steward and they of the household committed unto him that he should give them meat in due season But the Magistrate Matth. 24. 45. doth bear them as they are in the world and so the Church it self as it is a visible societie of men wherein righteous and good order is to be observed is an object of that power and authority which God hath intrusted him withall for his glory So then every one doth bear these vessells differently in a manner sutable to his calling The use of this Doctrine is two-fold The first for exhortation The uses of exhortation the second for instruction and warning The exhortation shall be in two words to two things 1. That every one should lay this to heart and consider See what ves self thou art and what â—ust is given thee himself what sort of vessell he is and what the trust is which is committed to him of himself or of others Thou mayest know what sort of vessell thou art by the qualifications bestowed upon thee and place where thou art set whereby and wherein thou mayest become usefull for the Kingdome of Christ in thy self and in thy neighbour Let every one saith the Apostle consider his own work that is himself in respect of the work intrusted to him and then he shall have rejoycing in himself alone and Gal. 6. 4. not in another the custom and inclination of men is to reflect upon themselves not in simplicity but comparatively not with a single eye unto the rule but with an indirect respect unto other mens wayes in comparison of their own Thus the Pharisee said I am not like other men Luk 18. 11. or like this Publican c. Such a consideration of our selves doth give no just matter of rejoycing but the Apostles consideration of himself is true matter of joy for our rejoycing is this saith he The testimony of our conscience that in simplicity and godly sincerity not with fleshly wisdom but by the grace of God we have had our conversation in the world 2 Cor. 1. 12. if we look thus to our own consciences within our selves to our talent which we have received and how we have bestowed it that we may know how to be accountable to God for it then we shall have true matter of joy in our selves and not in another The second duty is consequent unto this That every 2 2 Make tâ—y self a vessell of honour one in the consideration of himself should intend and endeavour to fit himself unto God as a vessell of honour This is that which the Apostle doth inferre 2 Tim. 2. 21. upon this Doctrine that God hath many vessells in his house therefore saith he if a man purge himself he shall be a vessell unto honour He supposeth that every one will aspire unto an honourable employment and that is the thing which I now stirre you up unto namely that every one should endeavour to fit himself for some honourable employment the means is to purge your selves from earthly qualities if a man doth this the Apostle doth promise him that he shall be a vessell of honour and if so then as one sanctified and set apart for the masters use and prepared for every good work no doubt the Lord will not let him be without imployment The use of Instruction and warning is also twofold The uses of instruction First
of honour and not have an eye unto them to see that they walk worthy and agreeable to the place wherein he puts them no by no means his honour is too much engaged in them not to regard them and look after them This then being a cleer and undeniable truth That God hath a speciall eye to those that are honoured to be neerest unto him Let me offer a word of application unto The Application of the point you concerning your present condition Consider I pray you in what case you stand towards God with this whole nation whereof you are a body representative Consider I say what our relations and engagements First to the whole nations of great Brittain are We are all entrusted to bear the vessels of the Lord in our distinct charges and places in a more eminent way then any other people of the world for the Nations of great Britain have made a new thing in the world a thing which hath not been done by any Nation in the world since the preaching of the Gospel in it a thing which since the Jewish Nation in the daies of Nehemiah was never heard of in any Nation that not only the Rulers but the whole multitude of the people should enter into a Covenant with their God and one with another and that two Nations should be leagued with an Oath together man by man to walk in the waies of his Word to maintain the Cause of Religion and to reform themselves according to his will This is a new thing in the Christian Church therefore there is a speciall engagement lying upon us all more then upon other men to bear every one our own vessels to bear the vessels of each other and to bear joyntly the Church and Cause of God in our hearts hands and shoulders In all the world there is not a Magistracy so eminently entrusted with such a charge over a people so neerly united unto God as you and the Parliament Then to the leaders thereof in the cause of Reformation of Scotland are Your charge is not only the outward safety of three Kingdomes to settle them in such a way as you have covenanted but the care of the Protestant Religion and Cause wherein the vessels of the Lord which are in forraign parts are concluded is committed unto you that you together with them may be brought out of Babylon I beseech you mark this our engagement unto God and let us lay it to heart Mark Gods intention and our obligation to fulfill it God hath since the beginning of the Reformation of his Church from Popery and Antichristian superstition intended to bring his vessels out of Babylon unto Sion the way hath been opened by the preaching of the Gospel a long while ago the Nations of Europe some more some lesse frequently have begun their marches in severall troops and the spirits of many Magistrates and of many Ministers have been stirred up and called upon to bear the vessels of the Lord and by their care power authority assistance and vigilancy to bring them to Sion there to be fully setled in the right use of the Ordinances of God But none of all the Magistrates or Ministers of other Nations have ever given such an answer to this call as you and we of the Ministery and this people hath done for we all have undertaken the cause in the full extent thereof therefore we are in this employment neerer unto God then any others and he is more interessed in you and in Scotland then in any Nation whatsoever And if this be so doe not you think that God will have a neerer respect unto you then unto others and that he doth expect a more exact performance of this charge from you then from others You and we all have fastened the cause we have in hand upon him and for this cause we have no foundation to build on but upon him and he hath none other employment for us but that we all should carry his vessells carefully out of Babylon if you doe this faithfully according to your promise and make it your aim to fulfill your Covenant to this effect with him you may be sure that he will bear you up and bear you out in all your difficulties but if you have any other aim and doe not make this your glory that the vessells of the Lord are committed to your trust if you cast them off in your heart and think them a wearisom burden and heavy to be borne If I say any doth but in his heart quit the charge committed unto him will not God require it at his hand doth not he trye the secrets of all hearts and although man may cast dishonour and contempt upon his vessells of honour and neglect them in his thought yet he will not utterly forsake them but will be found faithfull unto them although all men should prove lyars Take heed therefore every one to his spirit that yee deal not falsely with your God in this great employment you may be sure that he will not suffer himself by the contempt of his vessells to be reproached and vilified he hath borne even from the dayes of old his own from the belly from the womb he hath carryed them as a nursing father and he doth promise to be the same unto them even Isa 46 3 4. unto their old age and even unto hoar haires to carry them The only way then for you to be supported by him is this that you be sure to support with all your heart and might his vessells for you must know that it is only for their sake that you are and shall be a sure nail fastened in the wall of this Kingdome only I say for this end that the vessells of your Lords house and the glory thereof may be hung upon you but if you cannot be made use of by him to this effect though the nail be never so strong and fastened in a place never so sure it shall be broken and pulled down for the Lord hath spoken it Let us then all fear lest we come short of our duty in the charge committed unto us in our severall places Let us look to one another and exhort one another daily lest our hearts be hardened through the deceitfulnes of sinfull and humane counsells and lest the eagernes of pursuing these cause us forget the main thing committed unto us which is to behave our selves as servants only and as such servants who bear the vessels of the Lord and upon whom the eyes of the Lord are continually open And as this on the one hand is an object of exceeding great fear to make us carefull that we may not be found faulty in so great a trust so on the other hand it is an unspeakable matter of joy comfort and encouragement to those who have their consciences cleer in this matter telling them that they aim at nothing else but at the dutifull performance of this very thing namely that the
ISRAELS CALL TO MARCH OVT OF BABYLON UNTO JERVSALEM OPENED IN A SERMON BEFORE The Honourable House of Commons assembled in PARLIAMENT Novemb. 26. 1645. being the day of Publique Humiliation By John Durye a Member of the Assembly of Divines Published by Order of the House of COMMONS LONDON Printed by G. M. for Tho. Vnderhill at the signe of the Bible in Wood-street 1646. Die Mercurij 26o. Novemb. 1645. ORdered by the Commons assembled in PARLIAMENT that Sir Gilbert Pickering and Sir John Clotworthy do give thanks from this House to M. Durye for the great pains he took in the Sermon he preached this day at the intreaty of this House at St. Margarets Westminster it being the day of Publike Humiliation and to desire him to Print his Sermon And it is ordered that none shall print this Sermon without being authorized under his hand-writing H. Elsynge Cler. Parl. D. Com. I Appoint Thomas Vnderhill to print my Sermon John Durye TO THE HONOVRABLE HOVSE of Commons assembled in PARLIAMENT THe great work of Reformation which is put into your hand hath many and great advantages That it is undoubtedly a work which God alone can bring to passe That he will in his own time accomplish it That it cannot be wrought any other way then by the advancement of the Gospel of Christ That none can be instrumentall in it but such is are the trees of Isa 6â— 3. 4. Righteousnes the planting of the Lord by whom he may be glorified That to such the Lord hath promised that they shall build the old wasts and raise up the former desolations That none can oppose the work but such as hate to be reformed and know not the joyfull sound of his truth That all such as wait for God in the way of his judgements can be helpers in it That the decree is gone forth against Babylon that she shall be laid waste That these are pronounced blessed who shall take and dash her little ones against the stones and that you are so deeply engaged in this work that you can have no temporall safety nor subsistance but so farre as you proceed in it so that now you must either fall utterly and draw with you into ruine the other reformed Churches or else secure them and your selves by the building up of Zion all these are exceeding great advantages which I am perswaded you doe understand and can truly value Therefore when I spoke unto you I found a freedom of spirit in love to the cause and to you which opened my mouth as without fear so with an assurance of acceptance and although the shortnes of the time would not suffer me to proceed and come to a full application yet I hope that if the thing which hath been delivered which in obedience to your Honourable command I have here published so neer as I can remember both in sense and words be laid to heart and rightly apprehended the main matter of my message will be in due time effected by the grace of God in your spirits which is to know the true relation wherein you stand towards the Church of God what the mystery of Babylon is and what you ought to aim at in raising up the walls of Jerusalem within your selves If time would have given leave I should have added something concerning the extent of your building that you must not make the walls of your Ierusalem too narrow in compasse but be mindefull that they ought to receive all those that are going out of Babylon with you I mean both your own and forreign Protestants whose eyes are upon you and whose peace and safety is wrapt up in your prosperity and how farre soever you shall think good in due time to look with an eye of brotherly correspondency towards them whereof to put you in minde is a part of my duty and therefore I now desire to crave leave that at a convenient season I may be permitted to offer the means thereof unto you yet in the mean time I may have confidence and rejoyce in this that the engagement which God hath put upon you by your Covenant is such that you cannot possibly be reconciled unto Babylon if you be faithfull to it And in your faithfull resolutions I dare promise unto my self that the Prophecie of Ieremy the Prophet shall be accomplished by your proceedings namely that they shall Ier. 5. 26. not take of Babylon any one stone for a corner nor a stone for a foundation but that it shall be desolate for ever If thus you are resolved to depart and goe out from her and answer effectually the call which is given to touch none of her uncleannes you may be sure that the work of the Lord and his good pleasure shall prosper in your hand You shall be exalted in his truth and beautified with his holines when he filleth Sion with judgement and Righteousnes And you may make sure of the promise which followeth the words of my Text that you shall not need to proceed in haste nor goe out by slight because the Lord will go before you and the God of Israel will be your rereward And that this may be so I shall never cease to make mention of you before the Lord at the Throne of Grace as it becommeth Your Honours Most humble and affectionate Servant in Christ Iohn Durye ISRAELS CALL TO MARCH OVT OF BABYLON UNTO JERVSALEM ISAIAH 52. 11. Depart ye depart ye goe ye out from thence touch no unclean thing go ye out of the midst of her be ye clean that beare the vessels of the Lord. THe Prophet Isaiah is truly called the Evangelicall Prophet because his scope is to shew two things First how the warfare of the The sâ—ope summe and parts of the Prophet Isaiah Church of God under the Law should be accomplished Secondly what the comforts are which under the Gospel should be conferred upon her and these are the two parts of this Prophecie the first concerning the warfare under the Law and the dispensation of severall judgements depending thereon is from chap. 1. to 40. The second concerning the comforts of the Gospel which at the accomplishment of this warfare the Church was to receive is from chap. 40. to the end His second part subâ—ivided in to foure promises 1. Of deliverance from Babylon 2. Of the comming of Christ In this second part four chief heads of comfort are promised unto the Church by the Prophet of which The first is That the Church should be delivered from the captivity of Babylon from chap. 40. to 53. The second chief comfort is That the Messias should come and by his suffering save his people chap. 53. Erect a new Covenant with his Church under the Gospel chap. 54 55. upon which true felicity is effected to all that keep it chap. 56. and from which are rejected Idolaters chap. 57. Hypocrites chap. 58. and obstinate Sinners chap. 59. The third chief comfort is That the bounds
vessels of the Lord entrusted unto them may be borne and brought out of Babylon safely to Jerusalem and there become serviceable unto God in his holy habitation Happy is the man whose heart is perfect towards God in this thing This man may be sure that in the midst of trouble he shall finde deliverance and in the saddest times he shall be comforted and supported for as his heart is engaged to rely upon God in his service so he hath a rich and a sure promise to trust unto that Gods Providence will be engaged for him The promise is 2 Chron. 16. 9. The eyes of the Lord run to and fro thorow the whole earth to shew himself strong in the behalfe of those whose heart is perfect towards him his eyes will spy thee out wheresoever thou art and his hand will be ready prest to doe thee service for thy deliverance even as thou with a perfect heart art ready to serve him in the bearing of his vessels but if thy heart be imperfect and unsound in this matter whatsoever thy condition may now be and how prosperous soever the judgements are not yet at an end before all be done thou shalt be ranked with the Hypocrites in Sion who are forced to cry out even then when Sion is filled with judgement and righteousnes with Isa 33. 10. wisdom and knowledge and the fear of the Lord then shall such Hypocrites all of them be forced to lament and cry who of us shall dwell with the devouring fire who of us shall dwell with the everlasting burnings This use and application of the Doctrine doth respect us all indifferently in that relation wherein we stand under the Oath and Covenant of our God this is a matter both of fear and of comfort as we finde our hearts affected therewith that we may all learn and be mindefull both high and low both Civill and Ecclesiasticall in our severall places to serve the Lord in the preservation of his vessels with fear and to rejoyce in the performance of our duty with trembling Now before I leave the point seeing you have put me in this place to be your remembrancer in the name of the Lord give me leave to Lastly to those that are in civill employmeÌ„â— discharge this speciall trust by speaking a word of speciall application more distinctly unto those that are in places of civill employment or that affect and seek after the same To those let me say this That they ought carefully to beare in minde the name which here the Prophet doth give them he doth call them vessel-bearers of the Lord. By this demonstration they are taught not only what their charge is but under whom and in whose name they are to administer the same namely under God and in the name of the Lord. Therefore the waighty admonition which Jehoshaphat gave unto the judges of Israel whom he appointed in all the Cities of Judah is now to be given unto you he saith unto the Judges 2 Chron. 19. 6 7. Take heed what ye doe yee judge not for man but for the Lord who is with you in the judgement let then the feare of the Lord be upon you Remember this when you are in Parliament or in Committees appointed by it remember that ye judge not for man but for the Lord. Call to minde that it is he who hath called you to the place that in his presence who doth see all your intentions it is not safe to judge for favour or to have designes for or against this or that party or person for this or that particular interest Remember saith Jehosaphat that the Lord is with you in the judgement that it is not in your own name and for your own ends that you are there but in his stead therefore let the feare of the Lord be upon you And this is the warning which belongeth unto you who are already in places Others there be who seek to come And to those that seek after eâ—ployment to places because these are times of action and employment and men that are zealous in a good cause may offer themselves to a call which is lawfull let me speak a word unto such also I will not narrowly examine by what means men seek to come to places but supposing it to be in a lawfull and approved way I would heartily advise them if they will have any comfort in their places to look to their own hearts to set them aright towards the end for which their places are ordained by God and to consider the intention of him alone by whose favour they can be maintained and become usefull to the publike and to themselves in their places This then they must know that God hath ordained all such places not for a private use that a man should get into it to sit safe and warm and high to be respected more then his neigbour to get power and be able to sway a party or to crosse this or that supposed designe of another party this God doth not in an ordinary way call any man unto therefore look to it you that come to ordinary places look to your own aim which you can know best if you think to receive your call with a blessing from God hoping to be maintained by him in your places you must be sure that your purpose is answerable unto his he calls you to have a hand in the administration of his affairs that is to help in the work of his mercy and justice to bear up mercifully and kindely his vessels of honour and destroy in the way of judgement the vessels of his wrath he calls you to march with the vessels of his mercy out of Babylon and he calls you to come with them to his Jerusalem if then you apply not your minde to know who are his vessels how you should bear them whence you should depart and whither you should goe with them truly you will have little or no comfort in your places in the end Let me propose unto you for your admonition the example of Shebna of whom we read in Isa 22. 15 16 c. he was over the house and treasurer of the King of Juda and we finde by the circumstances of things mentioned in that chapter that it was a time of trouble and danger of warre in which times men that are in high places can make use of them to their greatest advantage if they be wise states-men and so did Shebna he did uphold his state he provided for himself as one that graveth an habitation for himself in a rock he had the charets of his glory to attend upon him and so served himself of his place but what doth God say to all this he sendeth the Prophet unto him to tell him that he had made his reckoning without his host that he made acacount to settle himself on high but that God would turne him down low and out of his place and tosse him up and down like a ball